


Mrs. Wayne

by ThePowerofGoodbye



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Man of Steel (2013)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-05-29 09:31:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6369460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePowerofGoodbye/pseuds/ThePowerofGoodbye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a Wayne is never easy. Loving a hero is even harder. Doing both is damn near impossible. <br/>Nora Wayne had known Bruce since she was 14 years old and has followed him through hell. After her life has been saved by the blue caped crusader himself she must decide if she can follow him through war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prolog

“Mrs. Wayne?” 

She jumped, quickly trying to pull her cigarette behind her back as she turned to the door.

“Oh! Mr. Kent! Hello.”

“Are you alright?” He looked her over puzzled. 

“Oh. I'm fine. I'm just-”

She glanced around her for an excuse. She found nothing but his eyes following her, perfectly sculpted brows arched. She sighed and pulled the lit bud from behind her back. She helded up slightly and smiled hesitantly. 

“I needed a break.” 

He laughed and walked over to her, towering over her sitting on the back steps. She took another drag and looked up at him taking in the surroundings. They were the only ones outback of the party enjoying the perfect summer night. 

“So what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be inside trying to pry the dirt out drunk billionaires?”

“Well maybe that's why I'm out here talking to you.”

He smiled coyly at her, she returned the favor. 

“Yes, but I'm not drunk.”

“Well,” he lowered himself down, joining her on sitting on the steps. “that would make us the only ones.”

She smirked, offering her cigarette. He stared at it but ultimately took it. He took a small puff and almost dropped in a fit of coughing. She giggled, God she needed to stop doing that, she sounded like little girl rather than an adult woman. She took it back from him and let it rest between her fingers, waiting for him to stop coughing. She gave him a soft wap on the back as he calmed down.

“First time?”

Cough. “Ya.” Cough. “You could say that.”

“Well do me a favor and don't put this in your article okay?”

She stamped it out on the concrete and tossed it into the nearby bushes. 

“Bruce thinks I quit.”

“Considering he's in there getting sloshed I believe it's probably alright for you to smoke.”

He didn't miss the grimps that passed over her face.

“Does it ever bother you?”

“Hum?”

“That your husband seems to have no qualms about getting drunk in public and flaunting his sexual escapades?”

It was a blunt statement but no where near untrue. Though there was gentleness to his words that had no acusation of a reporter, just innocent and concerned curiosity. She pressed her lips together then let them go, fiddling with her engagement ring, it had been her mother in law’s. She knew Bruce wouldn't cheat on her and that this was always just an act. One that left her as the poor, runaround wife. 

“I'm a Wayne Mr. Kent. I am emensly use to disappointment.” She spoke with a small smile. 

She let out a laugh that died when she looked up into the piercing blue diamond eyes of the friendly neighborhood reporter. He stared into her like he was looking into her soul. 

“You shouldn't have to be.”

The wind blew against her bare arms sending shivers down her spine. Clark looked away, turning his head seconds before the back door to the Lex Corps building opened. 

“There you are.” 

Bruce looked between his wife and the nosy reporter. His grin was painfuly fake. Clark stood slowly, starring down the taller man. Bruce smirked at him then down to his wife. He held out his hand to her. 

“I believe we're done here. Are you ready to go?”

“As long as I get to drive.”

She lifted herself off the ground, careful of hef gown. Gracefully she took Bruce’s hand and allowed him to lead her away from the padio. Looking back over her shoulder she called out with a grin.

“Goodnight Mr. Kent. And I trust you'll remember our little secret?”

He nodded, “Just between us Mrs. Wayne.”   
He called as he watched her walk away on the arm of a man he was conviced was a murder.


	2. Chapter 2

18 Months Earlier

Nora pounds her fingers down hard enough to break the buttons on her phone. Her hands were shaking as she cradled the phone to her ear, her gaze focused on the chaos outside her office window. 

“Nora?!” 

Bruce yells into his cell phone, sounding terrified and relieved in the same breath. She could hear the wings of a chopper in the background.

“Bruce please tell me you're seeing this?!”

“Baby you need to get out of the building. Get everybody out of the building!”

“The evacuations already started. Bruce did  
you-”

The phone line went out, cutting her off. 

“Bruce?” she fiddled with the receiver.“Bruce?! Dammit!”

She slams down the receiver, grabbing her jacket off her chair, tossing it on in a mad dash for the door. She crains her neck to search for stragglers in the building on her way through. Halfway down the stairs she hears a loud blast that shakes the building.

“Dammit.” 

She races full speed through the mostly empty building screaming to everyone she saw to get out, move it, the city was under attack. The noise of the world outside is so loud she can hear it clearly through the steel walls. Another blast knocks her off her feet and she's sent sprawling face first on the ground. Black spots dance around the edges of her vision as she tries to regain her sence of sight. She reaches up to touch her head where it connected with the floors and her fingers come back coated in a thick glob of blood. There's moaning beside her. She turns her head and looks into the eyes of a security guard who's been buried under a falling mound of debris. Sighing to herself she scrambles over to him on her hands and knees. 

“Hey! Hey, hey, hey stay awake!” 

His head lulls from side to side as her hands shake him. He looks up at her in confusion.

“Mrs. Wayne?”

“Ya, ya it's me! Come on we've got to get out of here. The whole place is about to come down.” 

He can barely move. She knows he won't be able to walk but leaving him there breathing doesn't cross her mind. She stumbles to her feet, almost crashing back down when a sharp pain shoots through her ankle like a bullet. But in Wayne fashion she grits her teeth and grabs the security guard by his armpits as he swings in and out of consciousness and uses all her strength to pull him in the direction of the door. She slips in water from a busted pipe and lands on her back. They get out to street just as some fighter place crashes through the sixth floor of her building. 

She watches in horror as it collapses in on itself in a outpour of dust, debris, and falling wreckage. Her life doesn't flash before her eyes while she covering the guard's head with her body and her head with her hands but her family does. She sees her parents boarding their last plane ride, she sees Alfred preparing Thanksgiving dinner, she seems Cassandra at her prom, she sees Dick hitting himself in the face with his bo staff, she sees Jason and Tim fighting, and she sees Bruce standing in front of her in suit as the smoke begins to clear and her ears ring, just before she opens her eyes. The guard and herself are both alive but Nora has trouble getting control of herself amidst the stress. She barely finds the strength to pull him down the steps with her as she half crawls half walks down the cracked front steps of the building that are completely gone in some places. 

They get to the bottom, amidst pieces of what use to be building and tipped over cars, and she lets go of him. She can't help collapsing face first next to him on the ground. Her vision edges again with black spots, by now thick, maroon blood is running into her eye. Her body aches and screams as people shout and yell around her, for help, for loved ones, for God. The world is buring down around her. She catches sight of the ship in the sky as she closes her eyes.

“No!” 

Her green eyes flutter open as somebody grabs her shoulders in their large hands and yanks her around onto her side. 

“No! Nora! Nora-” 

Bruce feels the wind knocked out of his chest when his wife looks up into his eyes.

“Bruce?” 

She whispers his name horsley and he feels the tears welling in his eyes while he grins. She's pulled up into his lap and let's her head fall into his shoulder, staining it with her blood and tears she didn't know she'd been crying, as Bruce clutches her tightly. There's another explosion above them and when she looks up she spots him. Superman charging through the sky locked in battle with another Kryptonian. She watches in daze but doesn't catch Bruce glaring above her.


	3. Chapter 3

She has a concussion and they need to put four stitches in her scalp. She broke her ankle and a few ribs too but she can't feel much more than a dull ache after that nice nurse with the morphine came around. Nora’s not sure who invented morphine or when but she'd very much like to send them a muffin basket. The pain meds work so well that within twenty minutes she was glued to Bruce’s cell, making sure extra hospital supplies were being sent in for the onslaught of injured pouring into the hospitals, checking that there was someone notifying her employees families, and trying her best to get a number of how many people had been killed inside the building. Not to mention the phone calls she'd gotten from almost every person she'd ever met.

When Bruce walked back into her hospital room holding a steaming mug of sludge like coffee he found her with the small device still glued to her face. He scowled but said nothing until he was sitting next to her on the side of the bed. He ripped the phone out of her hand, “She’ll have to call you back”, and clicked the end call button with a small smirk. Nora made an indignant noise as he slung the phone into a nearby chair. 

“Near death experiences warrant a half  
day.”

“Oh really now! And I suppose you going to take your own advice next time it's you huh?”

Bruce leaned in closer, ducking his head down towards her face. 

“Probably not.” 

“That's what I thought. And I'll have you know that was Dick.” 

She leaned her head into his, touching their foreheads together, brushing the sides of their noses.

“Like I said you'll call him back.” 

They both smiled into the kiss. When Bruce tries to pull away she catches the back of his neck and places another kiss to his thin, slightly chapped lips. 

“For luck.” she whispered.

When they pull back she settles back into the uncomfortable hospital bed and scratchy white blankets while Bruce moves to the chair next to the bed, sipping his coffee without sneering at the taste. 

“You're not going to let me call Dick back are you?”

“You need to rest Nora. Besides the kid called twice already.”

“He worries.”

“He could worry less if you rest and got better quicker.”

She laughed, raising an eyebrow at him. Did he even hear himself sometimes?

The TV which had played continuously in the background caught their sudden attention as the news cut in. The were playing video of the horror in the streets. The attack on Metropolis as they were calling it. Not very original if you ask her but it had probably come from twitter or something. Clark flipped the channel, then flipped it again and again but every channel seemed to preoccupied with news broadcast. The station they finally left it on seemed to be focusing on the agreed upon hero of the day.

Bruce stared at the screen as they played footage of the blue suited superman charging through the sky locked in a fight with one of the attacking aliens. 

“Looks like you're not the only one saving the day in a cape anymore huh?” Nora prodded playfully, though she could see the tension weighing on Bruce’s shoulders. He leaned forward in chair like he was going to pounce at the image and shook his head.

“He's not a hero.” Bruce looked at Nora in her paper hospital gown, “He caused all this. These were his people. They were here because of him. You're here because of him.”

“Bruce I highly doubt he thought this would happen.”

“Well he should have. He didn't and now Jack’s dead, you're in the hospital with broken bones, and thousands of innocent people are dead. And they're talking about him like he's our savior? No. No, he's a threat.” 

He sat back in his chair, gripping the arms as he finished his rant. Nora watched him carefully, recognizing the signs of danger in him that she hadn't seen since the Joker. Not danger directed at her but in his own thoughts. Thoughts of Superman.

“Bruce I don't like that look in your eye.”

“What look?”

“That look you get before you do something crazy that might get you killed.”

He looked at her in surprise, like he hadn't realize his emotions played out so clearly on his face, which they did, to her at least, then down at his hands.

“You're not going to do something stupid are you?”

“Define stupid.”

“You're not actually thinking about,” she glanced at the open door to make sure no one would hear, “about taking on Superman are you?”

He was quiet, which scared her more than an answer. He suddenly smiled at her softly, lifting out of his chair. “Right now I'm just thinking about you getting better. I'll take care of the company calls, arrange for a flight back to Gotham tomorrow. You just get some rest.” He kissed the top of her head sweetly before holding up his phone and walking out of the room. She stared after him feeling sick before suddenly flipping off the television


	4. Chapter 4

Now

Nora sighed in exhaustion as she slammed the manor’s front door shut behind her with more force than strictly necessary and kicked off her high heels. Sinking down to her natural 5’7 she tossed them into the corner by the door and reached up to pull the restraining pins out of her her black hair, letting it cascade down her back in silky blue-black waves. The house greeted her with its usual painful silence. Her own movements barely making a dent in the loud void. 

“Honey,” She breathed, “I’m home.” 

She waited for the silence to awnser her back and wasn't disappointed. Her last three meetings had been particularly exhausting and all she wanted to do was strip, submerge herself in a hot shower, then crawl in bed next to Bruce. But seeing as the sun was already down she knew the last one was unlikely. Halfway down the hall she bumped into Alfred appearing from the study. 

“Miss. Nora! Welcome home.”

“Good evening Alfred. Is Bruce here?”

“He just got in. Should I go get him?” 

He knew Nora’s feelings on spending time in the cave.

“No that's alright. I'll go myself.” She thought for a moment. “Should I bring the first aid kit?”

“I’m happy to report that will not be necessary.” 

Nora let out a relieved breath she didn't know she had been holding. 

“Good. Good.”

Alfred brushed by her only to stop suddenly and turn on his heels. “Oh, how did the meetings go?”

Nora smiled tiredly at her old friend. She had known him since she was 14 years old yet even when she found herself at almost 44 he was still fathering her. 

“How they always go. Boring small talk, run around arguments, then someone yells and tells everyone how to do things.”

“And would that someone have been you by chance?”

“Possibly.”

“Well in that case would you care for a cup of tea? It'll soothe your throat.”

“That would be lovely. Thank you Alfred.”

“I think I’ll whip up some dinner as well. It'll be here when you come back up.”

As he walked away she called out after him. “Alfred what would we do without you.”

He answers without turning around. “I shudder at the thought.” 

Nora’s soft giggles muffled under the sound of the piano keys. As she emerged into the mouth of the bat cave she immediately spotted Bruce sitting at the wall sized computer still in his suit. He heard her heels clicking from the top of the stairs but didn’t look up as she approaches him. 

“What are you doing down here?”

The number of times she'd willingly gone down the steps to the bat cave could be counted on two hands. 

“ Just checking your mortality status.”

He chuckled, the sound echoing through the room as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

“How was the meeting?”

“Boring and loud. How was your day?”

“Painfully uneventful.”

He leaned back into her touch as her hands wander to his hair, gently massaging his scalp. 

“No news on the White Portuguese then I take it?”

“No, this guy was almost too dim to exist. He couldn't tell me anything, but he did give me a name of a higher up.”

Their eyes wandered up to the picture of a handsome but dangerous looking man that appeared as if it had been taken by a security camera.

“Well, he certainly looks, friendly.” 

“Ya,” he scoffed, pulling out of her touch to dim the screen. “And I'm running into him in about 2 hours.”

“2 hours? Where?” 

“An underground boxing match in China Town. I need to clone his phone.”

Nora paused as she thought. 

“Bruce?”

“Hum?” 

“Have you tried Google?” 

“Nora, it’s a little more complicated than that. These are Gotham’s elite criminals. They don't just go posting their illegal activity online.”

“So in other words, no?”

Bruce glared at her before typing into the search engine of the computer.

“So what exactly is it that you want from the White Portuguese anyway?”

He paused, letting her wrap her arms back around him.

“I thought I told you?”

“No, you started to tell me then you artfully changed the subject and hoped I wouldn't notice.”

“You didn't.”

“No, but I remembered. So what is it?”

“He either has something I need or knows how to get it.”

“Which would be?”

He avoided her gaze guiltily. Her stomach dropped, knowing there must be something he knew she didn't want to hear or he didn't want her involved in. Or both. 

“Its a ship.”

“What?”

Bruce sat up straight in his chair, breaking her hold on him once more as he started to manipulate the screen. 

“The White Russian. Its a ship. Docked in Angle Bay.” He pulled up a picture of a white and blue ship that looked more like a luxury liner than a shipping vessel. “Son of a bitch.”

“Well. Seeing as you're no longer due in China Town, how about you get changed and meet me up stairs for dinner.”

“Uh hu. Sure thing.” He awnsered her while still caught up in his own thoughts, stairing at the computer screen. 

She nodded, pecking him on the cheek. She stopped at the stairs and hesitated, finally turning back around. Bruce was hunched over in his chair, scrubbing a hand over his face tiredly. “Oh and Bruce?”

He looked up at her.

“Your going to have to tell me what you’re up to eventually.”

He laughed softly from deep in his chest. 

“Yes, dear.”

Nora smiled cheekily as she dissapeared up the stairs, the sound of her clicking heels echoing behind her. Already planning in her head just how she'd make her husband talk.


	5. Chapter 5

Eighteen Years Ago

The manor was quiet in the early morning hours. A still pitch blackness ran through the rooms and enveloped Nora as she laid awake in bed. She hadn't gone to bed alone but she had certainly woken up alone at one in the morning, swimming in the big empty bed by herself without Bruce’s arms there to anchor her down. This wasn't the first or the second or the third or even the fourth time that this had happened and she didn't know what to think about it. She considered climbing out of bed, grabbing her bags, and taking a cab back to her apartment. She didn't shlep all the way out here every day only to end up sleeping alone. But somehow getting herself killed going out this late at night in Gotham didn't seem worth it. 

She sighed, kicking the covers off her body, and rolled onto her side to watch the dark world outside the window. Her mind wandered once again to where Bruce went at night. It wasn't like he had an exuberant amount of friends to run around with at night. In fact beyond Alfred, herself, and Mr. Fox from work she didn't think he had any real friends to speak of. It would have seemed creepy had it been any grown man besides Bruce. Even when they were kids he kept mostly to himself, she had been his only really friend back then, which was fine since he was really her only friend back then too. He'd been back such a short time, she worried.

Briefly she considers he might be cheating on her but brushed off the idea. She didn't believe that act he put on for the press for one second. That was another mystery to her. Why did he put on the drunk, spoiled, idiotic billionaire act for those people? Every time she asked he just brushed her off with a smirk or tried to change the subject hoping she’d forget the conversation. Then there were the bruises. The marks she’d find littering his body in the morning when she woke back up and found he'd returned to his spot beside her. It was all beginning to drive her mad.

The grandfather clock chimed from the corner of the room. It was one a.m. Knowing sleep would continue to elude her now that she was wrapped up in her own head she climbed out of bed with a quiet huff. Fishing her cigarettes from her bag, she escaped to the balcony. The cool air shocked her as she stepped foot outside, pulling one of the glass french doors shut behind her. It was early October but it was already cold enough that you wouldn't venture outside without a coat. And here she was standing outside, barefoot in a tank top and sweatpants. Not that the cold ever bothered her much anyway, it couldn't keep her mind from wandering back to Bruce. He'd only been back for a few months but he was already turning her head inside out. So much about him was different, things that seemed to go down to his very soul, but other things about him were just like she remembered. Sometimes she felt like he’d come back as two different people all together and it was as if there were peices to bridge them together she just hasn't found yet. 

She loves him still. He's her best friend. He still makes her laugh and smile like when they were fifteen. She thinks she could live with all the damage in him, she just wants the lying to stop. 

She sees him come in but never hears him sneak in through the door and lightly pad over to the bed in his sweats like he had never left at all. The moonlight illuminates a fist sized bruise on his chest. He stopped halfway to the bed and turned his head in the direction of the balcony doors, taking in her silhouette illuminated by the moon and spark at the end of her cigarette bud. He cracked a tight, tired smile in her general direction. She put out her cigarette against an ashtray she’d stashed outside and gently opened and closed the doors. Nora stood back against the glass with her arms folded across her chest protectively and waited for him to speak. 

Bruce took a deep breath, looking from her to the bed uneasily. “I thought you'd be asleep?” 

An uneasy tension flows between them as she silently stares him down. He smiles tensely. “Are you coming back to bed?” He smiled at her again

Nora sighed finally, raking her hands roughly through her short locks. A frustrated grunt clawed its way out of her throat in a growl. “Where the hell do you go at night Bruce?” 

Bruce tensed up, his smile faltering slightly before returning. “I run.”

“At midnight? At three in the morning?”

“I didn't want you to worry. “

She took a deep breath. His calm, patronizing demeanor did nothing to quell her anger. “And the cuts and bruises all over you?”

He doesn't answer her right away and she knows he's searching for an answer. He decides on, “Oh, those. I’ve been taking self defense classes. I guess I'm just not very good yet am I?!” He chuckles. 

“Stop it! Jesus, Bruce stop lying to me! Ever since you came back to Gotham it's like I can't trust half the things that come out of your mouth.”

“I don't lie to you Nora.”

“Then where do you go at night? And don't give me some cock and bull story alright.”

Bruce studied his feet, suddenly finding his socks highly interesting, before turning his guilty gaze back to Nora.

“I can't.”

Nora didn't pick a fit, or cry, or yell. Instead she crossed her arms and sighed. 

“Alright. Fine. Then I'm leaving.”

He looked up at her in surprise, though he'd known this was bound to happen.

“Nora.” He breaths out through his nose heavily, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. When they open he bridges the gap between them with a few graceful strides and grips her elbows. “Nor, you're making a big deal out of nothing. I just didn't want to worry you. Don't walk out not tonight.” He shakes his head, moving one hand up her neck to cup her face. She doesn't move, just stares at him. “Look, its late. We're both tired. Why don't you just get some sleep and in the morning we'll get some breakfast and we'll talk. Don't mske any rash decisions tonight.” He didn't say please but spoke softly and held onyo her like he was trying to keep his world from slipping out of his hands.

“I can't do this anymore, Bruce.” 

She waited to see what he'd say, but instead of blowing up or begging her to stay he stands up straight and nods once,understanding before slipping out of their room, to where she did not know. She watched her best friend disappear from her for what felt like the last time before slipping down onto the bed and wiping away tears she finally let loose.


	6. Chapter 6

Now

The sunlight streamed in through the french doors of the balcony, cascading against her pale skin and waking her up. Bruce groaned beside her making Nora smile. She rolled over onto her side and tucked her head into the crook of his neck. 

“We need to get thicker curtains.” He rasped without opening his eyes. She hummed back her reply blindly.

“Mum Hum. I'll get right on that.” 

Neither of them said anything else as they hung in the realm between sleep and awake on a delicate tightrope. Bluebirds chirped outside the window.

“What day is it?” 

She thought for a minute. “Saturday.”

“Good. Stay in bed.”

“I can't!” She groaned, burying her face further into his neck. “I have a meeting with the head of the boys home, then I’m taking Steph to lunch.”

“Ummm,” He he hummed pushing himself up on his elbow to hover over her and bringing his other hand up to her face. “Well how about-” He grunted in pain, his typical morning pain suddenly hitting him hard. He pulled back from her, his thumb ghosting the scar on her face, lowering himself slowly down onto the mattress. Nora quickly reached over him and grabbed his bottle of prescription painkillers. He took it took the plastic orange container from her and twisted off the cap, dulling out two. He popped them into his mouth and swallowed them down with a swig of whiskey from the bottle he kept under the bed.

“Don't take them with alcohol. Bruce don't-!, You took them with alcohol.” Nora sighed in dismay. 

Bruce shrugged unapologetically. 

“You still need to take yours too.”

“I will after breakfast.”

They were like a couple of old people. Both needing to take their pills in the morning. He took his pain pills when he woke up to allow his battered body to make it through another day and after breakfast she took her own pain medication with a prozac chaser. Not that either of them could be fully trusted to take them as prescribed. 

“What are you planning for today?” 

“I have some business to take care of.”

“Wayne business or….”

He didn't say anything. 

“Oh, right. Bat business.”

He placed a sweet kiss on her lips when her smile dropped. When they pulled apart she tucked the thoughts of the bat in the back of her head and smiled at him gently.

“Well how about joining me for-”, She glanced at the grandfather clock across the room, “an early breakfast first?” 

“I'll do you one better. How about I take you out for dinner tonight? Just you and me.” 

‘Date night huh? I accept.” 

He kissed her once more sweetly, pressed together longer. Kissing Bruce felt like sticking her finger into a socket. It was electric. Fireworks bursting under her skin, her nerve endings standing on edge. His tongue slipped its way into her mouth and so started a wrestling match between the two for dominance. He won. Finally they pulled back for air. But Nora couldn't resist playfully nipping at a spot on his stubbly jaw. Bruce playfully growled at this, shoving her down onto the mattress and pinning her hands above her head with a restrictive but gentle grip. 

When they pulled apart she took a deep breath to prepare herself.

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the White Russian would it?”

“Now why would you say that?”

“Is it?”

“Yes.”

“So all the things on the news about the beatings….”

“I had to get information on the Russian. Now that I know what it is there are some more things I need to find out.”

“And the bats the way to do that? You found out more about this in one day as Bruce Wayne with Alfred and I than the bat did in weeks.”

Bruce closed his eyes, sighing in frustration. “Nora, please. Not this, not today.”

“Fine! Fine. We won’t talk about it. Keep your secrets. Not like they could get you killed anyway.”

She threw the covers back from her side of the bed and climbed out in a huff, reaching for her blue, silk bathrobe she wrapped it around her body as she walked around the bed, pulling the waist tie closed harshly.

“Oh come on Nor. Don’t, don’t be angry with me okay.”

He pushed up on his knees and moved to the edge of the bed, slinking his arms around her waist and pulling her back taunt against his chest. He peppered a kiss to the base of her neck, his morning stubble prickling her skin ticklishly.

“I promise I’ll tell you eventually. But for now it’s too dangerous.”

‘It’s always dangerous.’ She thought bitterly but nodded and allowed him to place another kiss on the base of her neck where a fresh hickey rested. She turned in his arms, forcing a smile on her face. Her right palm came up to rest over his heart. Beneath the scarred flesh, courtesy of Harley Quinn, she could faintly feel his heart beating beneath her fingertips. 

“Well, if you could wrap it up early tonight, we were invited to a benefit gala in Metropolis tonight and I think the distraction would be good.”

“What's the benefit for?”

“You remember Lionel Luthor at Lex Corpse? His son Lex donated a bunch of art and they’re hosting a gala to celebrate. Auctioning off even more art for charity or something.”

Bruce paused, then smiled, one hand clutching her wrist gently, the other resting on her waist. “I think you’re right. That sounds like a wonderful distraction.”

Nora smiled. Well at least they could have a normal night out.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains refrences to torture, facial scars, and anxiety.
> 
> As well as a healthy heaping of Batmama!Nora and Clark Kent

An hour later Nora padded down the stairs dressed and wet haired, holding her flats in her hands. She made her way into the kitchen, following the wafting smell of fresh roasted coffee pulling her in. Letting her shoes drop carelessly in the middle of the floor she giddily grabs her Doctor Who mug out of the cupboard and places it on the counter to fill with coffee. But first she decides to prioritize the roaring grumble of her stomach by searching the fridge. She opens the door and quickly finds the carton of strawberries. In search she pauses and smiles slightly to herself that all of the chocolate covered almonds are now missing from the day before. She grabs the strawberries out and places them on the counter. As she moves to the sink to wash them she craned her neck to catch a peak of the living room. The tail end of a blanket was caught in her grand chest and drawers. She swears that he could be so much more cautious than he is but she hopes this is his way of telling her he's okay. Her heart contracts with a pang in her chest. 

She shakes her head and pulls a knife out of the silver drawer to begin slicing her berries. Her mind wanders as she slices, memories of her children distracting her. She thinks about them often but she worries about her Jay the most. Was he eating enough? His snack were always gone as quick as she could buy them. Was he warm enough? She knew first hand the chill of the Gotham streets. His birthday was coming up, maybe she could wrap him a nice warm coat. Would he take it if she left it out for him? 

“Dammit!” she caught the edge of her finger with the blade. Blood dripped down into the practically shredded strawberry she'd been working on. Quickly she brought her pointer finger to her lips and sucked the blood off her skin, using her other hand to toss the strawberry strands she'd been cutting. When it felt better she pulled it out and dried it on a dish towel. She sliced the rest of the red berries and poured herself a coffee, careful to sip it on the right side of her mouth to avoid it dribbling from the long scar that drew from the corner of her lip up the side of her face three inches up in the shape of a smile. Bruce wasn't the only one with Batman related scars covering their body. She'd had the half glascow scar so long she barely thought about it anymore. 

“Say hi to the nice people Mrs. Wayne.”

She still remembered that god awful laugh. 

Besides the scar on her face Nora was actually quite beautiful. At forty two her once soft curves had filled out more with age adding a warm softness to her face, wrinkles had touched her little through the years, her skin still creamy and smooth, pale as winter snow. Her green eyes sparkled and her long blue black hair was silky as ink. But that was the one fake thing of her appearance. She'd been grey for years. How could she not be with eight kids, a visual anti husband, and a fortune 500 company to help run. 

Speaking of kids…. 

She glanced down at her watch. It was time to meet for her meeting over the orphanage. 

Hours later she jogged out of her meeting with a headache and sorley late. Going over the charity's finances had taken almost an hour longer than expected and Stephany was surely waiting on her. She pulled her cellphone out of her purse and saw two missed text.

Waiting at restaurant. Xo - Steph  
Sent 1:32 p.m.

Where are you?????? - Steph  
Sent 2: 42 p.m.

She started to hurriedly type a response. As she hit send she caught a cab coming down the street out of the corner of her eye.

“Wait! Oh, wait please!” She got there at the same time as a tall man with black curly hair. He used his long legs to push ahead of her and swing the door open. “Wait! Son of a-” 

The tall man turned and looked over at her. Well, down at her would be the more appropriate way to describe it. He was tall, not as tall as Bruce, but tall. He wore thick black rimmed glasses and had a head full of black curly hair. He looked between her and the cab, smiling sheepishly at her, he backed away, holding the door open for her.

“You go ahead. I’ll take the next one.” His voice was deep and velvety. 

“Are you sure? You were here first after all.” Nora bit her lip. She was running late but still, fair was fair.

He shook his head politely. He must have been wearing hair gel because his curls didn’t move when he did. “It’s fine really.”

There weren’t any other cabs coming or going down the street. Nora shook her head, this was probably a bad idea but, “Where are you heading?”

“City hall.”

“My restaurant is a block from there. We can just share if you want.”

He smiled. “Alright. Lets share.”

She climbed into the cab, clutching her cell phone. He climbed in after her with his messenger bag and a heavy duty photographer's camera. Nora took the opportunity to look him over in his plaid shirt and blue jeans. He looked like some sort of writer. She gave the cabie the name of the restaurant and they fell into an awkward silence as they rode.

“Are you a photographer?”

“Hum?” He seemed surprised by her sudden addressing then realized he had his camera laing in his lap. “Oh, no I’m a journalist. Clark Kent, Daily Planet.”

He stuck his hand out and she shook it with her much smaller one. 

“Nora Wayne, nice to meet you.”

“Wayne? Any relation to Wayne Enterprises?”

“Yes, actually, my husband own the company. As a matter of fact I believe the company owns the Daily Planet.”

“Well then I’m certainly glad I didn’t steal a cab from my boss today.”

She giggled along with his chuckle. 

“So what brings you to Gotham Mr. Kent?”

“Research. I’m doing interviews for a new article I’m writing on the recent string of attacks by the Bat visualanti.”

Nora looked at him, feeling uneasy now about her decision to share a cab with him. Her grip tightened on her cell phone to keep her composer.

“Oh?”

“Yes, surely you’ve seen the stories on the news? Late night attacks, people living in fear. I don’t believe people in Metropolis are aware enough of the situation.”

“Well I’m not sure those that he’s saved would agree on the subject.”

“With all do respect though Mrs. Wayne, there's no excuse for murder.”

Jason, Barbara, Gordon, Harvey.

“The Bat has saved my life on more than one occasion Mr. Kent. And from what I’ve experienced and read I don’t believe he has ever murdered anyone.”

He looked taken aback. His eyes traveled to the scar leading up from her mouth trying to be inconspicuous but she noticed. Everyone looked at it.

“I didn’t mean to offend you Mrs. Wayne.”

“It's alright Mr. Kent. It's just a sensitive subject for most of Gotham.”

“Funny; the Commissioner said almost the exact same thing.”

The rest of the car ride was taken in silence until they pulled up infront of the small italian restaurant where Stephanie was waiting inside. Nora handed her money to the driver through the small glass window and slung her purse up over her shoulder. 

“Well it was nice to meet you Mr. Kent. Good luck with your article. I hope that you find the truth.”

“So do my readers. Thank you Mrs. Wayne. It's been a pleasure.”

She closed the door and went into the restaurant without looking back. She made a mental note to read that article when it came out. Stephanie stood from her table when she spotted Nora walking towards her, seated in the back of the restaurant. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she was wearing a thin grey sweater and jeans. Nora stopped and grinned even wider, showing off her back teeth when she saw who was sitting next to Stephanie at the table. Barbara was wearing her glasses and trying to add just the right amount of ketchup to her french fries. She stopped and waved shyly at Nora who was suddenly walking much faster to the table. 

“Finally!” Stephanie cried, allowing herself to be pulled into her surrogate mom’s tight embrace. “We went ahead and ordered without you since you were taking so long.”

“Sorry the meeting went longer than it was suppose to.”

She turned her gaze down to Barbara and smiled. Barbara, who’d finally gotten her fries flavored to perfection, smiled sheepishly. “I hope you don’t mind me crashing your lunch date?”

“No! No of course not. I’m so glad to see both of you!” She may have sounded overly eager but there were very few times that she got to see more than one of her kids without there being some sort of crisis. And she almost saw Barbra less than she saw Jason. The last few years had been...difficult for the red headed former Batgirl. 

“How have you been? Both of you?”

The next few hours were spent laughing and animatedly recounting the past few weeks of their lives, as well as a healthy amount of gossip on their men folks. Quite animatedly too on Steph’s part. Slowly over their conversation Barb began to become more open, smiling to meet her eyes when Steph flung her hands out and smacked Nora in the face on one particularly wild story about a guy she met at the gym. It was a much needed afternoon for all three of the girls. Before they knew it the sun was setting and it was time to go. Nora paid the bill, against the girls protest and walked them out to Seph’s car. She hugged them each for longer than strictly necessary and gave them each a kiss on the cheek before she’d let them leave, making them each promise to call her when they made it safely home. Both girls exchanged looks at how much she sounded like Bruce. 

By the time she made it home Nora had just enough time to get ready for the benefit, her very rare date night. She was already pulling off her earrings and grabbing her favorite black dress out of the closet when she noticed her laptop resting on the desk. She ignored it, reaching for her shoes much more slowly. She walked to the bed to lay out her outfit and it seem to be calling to her. One quick search couldn’t hurt. She sat down at the desk and opened the screen. She searched in The White Russian. It was chartered by one Alexander Luthor and had just been docked from a trip to the Indian Ocean. 

‘Ya, a great distraction huh, Bruce?’ She bit her lip.

Downstairs a door slammed. “Nora, you home? We have to leave in two hours!”

“I’m getting ready now Bruce. “ She slammed the computer shut harshly.   
So goes another day as the wife of Bruce Wayne.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbetaed so I apologize in advance for any errors.

Leaving Gotham always felt like entering another world. The air was cleaner, the streets were neater, the atmosphere was lighter, the buildings brighter. Driving over the bridge from Gotham to Metropolis Bruce pressed down on the accelerator until the scenery brushed by them in a blur as if they were in a time machine back to a simpler time. Inside the sports car it was quiet. Gripping the steering wheel with both hands Bruce watched Nora out of the corner of his eye. She was sitting perfectly still beside him, staring out the window, fiddling with her rings. 

“How did lunch with Stephanie go?” 

Nora stayed staring out the window. Her voice was calm and controlled with her answer.

“It was nice.” She paused before adding, “Cassandra came too.” 

It was Bruce’s turn to silenced, “Oh.” Had she not known him so well Nora might not have heard the ting of pain in his voice. “How is she…” 

“As well as could be expected I suppose.” 

Bruce didn't like to talk about the kids too much anymore. Nora understood why after all. 

He nodded thoughtfully, staring back into the open road again. Nora went back to fiddling with her rings. 

“Are you alright?” 

She looked over startled, not expecting him to speak again so soon. 

“I'm fine.” 

He turned his head to smirk at her. “You really think you can still lie to me?” 

“You seem to have no problem lying to me.” She muttered. 

“What?” 

“Nothing dear.” 

Bruce shook his head, letting off the gas as they came further into town. 

“Did you-?” His eyebrows corcked. She just looked at him blankly. “You did.”

She turned suddenly in her seat looking at him furiously. “Of course I did Bruce. I was hacking people for a living before we got married for Christ sake!” 

“Alright so you found out.”

“And Lex Luthor is involved Bruce?! Why didn't you say anything when I mentioned the party?!”

He stayed silent, focusing on the road. “I didn't want to worry you.” 

“You didn't want to worry me or you don't trust me.” 

He shot her a quick look. “How could you ask me something like that?” 

“We said no secrets Bruce. Not anymore.”

The line of traffic got longer and slower as they approached the bright lights of the Luthor mansion.

“Well things are changing Nora. They aren’t simple as they use to be.”

He looked at her skeptically when she snorted. 

“When have things ever been simple in our lives Bruce. But we still get through things together. When you shut me out is usually when people get killed!”

He said nothing.

“Who is it gonna be this time Bruce?”

He sighed, his grip tightening on the wheel. “Can’t you just trust me for once? If I keep things from you it's only to protect you.”

“And I’m the one who needs to be more trusting?” She closes her eyes and leans into the seat. Her curls flatten between her head the leather headrest. “What can you tell me then?”

“Just don’t get left alone with Luthor if you can help it.”

They were third in line to the red carpet. Looking over Bruce she shook her head, “Were you ever planning on telling me?”

He doesn’t meet her eyes. He climbs out of the car smiling as valley opens the driver's side door. Bruce waves him off as the valley tries to open the passenger door, instead helping his wife out himself. They both smiled as they made their way down the red carpet. The King and Queen of Gotham, dazzling their spectators as always.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nora is a smoker. Please do not be a smoker like Nora.

The party, if you wanted to call it that, was in full swing by the time Bruce and Nora walked in arm in arm. A string quartet played gracefully in the corner, throngs of people filled the banquet hall, talking softly about business or politics or just how damn wonderfully it was to be rich enough for a Luthor party. Waiters carrying silver trays of champagne floated through the crowds, one of them brushed past the Waynes. Bruce was quick to grab two crystal tumblers from him without stopping the waiter and handed one to Nora. 

Their carefully orchestrated act, a well practised one at that, started now.

Nora looked at it for a moment then grabbed it from Bruce and downed it. When she looked back at Bruce he was staring straight down at her hardly. His brows raised in surprise. 

“Don't you start with me tonight Bruce.” She gritted out. 

“I didn't say a word.” He shot back calmly. Always so freaking calmly. 

She let go of his arm and replaced her drink with another from a second passing waiter. As she sipped more slowly this time she scanned the room. She wasn't all that sure she could have picked Alexander Luthor out of a crowd if she wanted to though. She had only seen a few bad pictures here in there in the papers but had never actually met the young man. The poor boy, losing his father so young. 

“Try not to drink too much. I can't stay with you the whole time tonight.” Bruce whispered in her ear

“Oh I'll try and manage Dear.” You whispered back harshly. 

With a forced smile she worked her way further into the room with Bruce by her side. His head turned to watch a beautiful dark haired woman pass. They were both playing their typical parts tonight. Bruce the drunk, playboy and Nora the tipsy yet supportive wife. It was gonna be a long night at this rate.

“Oh, Mr. Wayne! Mr. Wayne!” Gerard Hunt, a balding middle aged CEO rushed at them, pushing through the crowd. 

“Oh boy.” Bruce groaned lowly. 

“Have fun with that.” Nora laughed slinking away quickly just before the man reached her husband. 

Nora was busying herself with inspecting the art lining the walls with a careful eye and sipping her champagne slowly when a firm hand pressed against her lower back. 

“Thanks for that by the way.” Bruce whispered in her ear. 

“Well what do you think I put up with when you're off saving the world?” She replied in a whisper.

“Ladies and Gentlemen!” 

The Waynes turned their heads towards the stage where a fashionable blonde was standing with a microphone. 

“I would now like to introduce to the stage your host for the evening Mr. Lex Luthor!”

There was applause as a skinny young man with long auburn hair made his way through the crowd.

Bruce and Nora exchanged surprised yet unimpressed looks.

“Thank you, thank you!” Lex laughed taking the stage. “Speach, speach yes, blah blah blah. Open bar, the end.” He said to the polite laughter of the crowd. 

Bruce nodded once at Nora and began to move his way through the crowd unnoticed. Nora nodded back and brought her attention back to, or least pretended to bring it back to, the stage. Luthor continued his speech with a lesson on Greek mythology that seemed slightly unhinged. Nora watched the young man feeling uneasy. Even for a rich kid he seemed more eccentric than most. 

When he was done she took a deep breath and shook her head. She needed a cigarette. 

Somehow she managed to slip outside to the patio without being caught be a reporter or one of the many party guest. She glanced around cautiously just to be sure she was alone before pulling a small pack of cigarettes out of her purple clutch. 

Old habits and all that.

That first drag left her feeling like she could breath again. Ironically but it did. She blew the smoke out into the warm night air feeling her mind relax in the moments before her next drag. Slowly she lowered herself down onto the stairs careful not to let her dress pull up too much.

“Mrs. Wayne?”

She jumped, quickly trying to pull her cigarette behind her back as she turned to the door.

“Oh, Mr. Kent! Hello.”  
Clark stood behind her on the patio with his jacket wrinkled slightly and his curly hair less than its past gelled perfection.

“Are you alright?” He looked her over puzzled.

“Oh. I'm fine. I'm just-”

She glanced around her for an excuse. She found nothing but his eyes following her, perfectly sculpted brows arched. She sighed and pulled the lit bud from behind her back. She helded up slightly and smiled hesitantly.

“I needed a break.”

He laughed and walked over to her, towering over her sitting on the back steps. She took another drag and looked up at him taking in the surroundings. They were the only ones outback of the party enjoying the perfect summer night.

“So what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be inside trying to pry the dirt out drunk billionaires?”

“Well maybe that's why I'm out here talking to you.”

He smiled coyly at her, she returned the favor.

“Yes, but I'm not drunk.”

“Well,” he lowered himself down, joining her on sitting on the steps. “that would make us the only ones.”

She smirked, offering her cigarette. He stared at it but ultimately took it. He took a small puff and almost dropped in a fit of coughing. She giggled, God she needed to stop doing that, she sounded like little girl rather than an adult woman. She took it back from him and let it rest between her fingers, waiting for him to stop coughing. She gave him a soft wap on the back as he calmed down.

“First time?”

Cough. 

“Ya.” 

Cough. 

“You could say that.”

“Well do me a favor and don't put this in your article okay?”

She stamped it out on the concrete and tossed it into the nearby bushes.

“Bruce thinks I quit.”

“Considering he's in there getting sloshed I believe it's probably alright for you to smoke.”

He didn't miss the grimps that passed over her face.

“Does it ever bother you?”

“Hum?”

“That your husband seems to have no qualms about getting drunk in public and flaunting his sexual escapades?”

It was a blunt statement but no where near untrue. Though there was gentleness to his words that had no accusation of a reporter, just innocent and concerned curiosity. She pressed her lips together then let them go, fiddling with her engagement ring, it had been her mother in law’s. She knew Bruce wouldn't cheat on her and that this was always just an act. One that left her as the poor, runaround wife.

“I'm a Wayne Mr. Kent. I am immensely use to disappointment.” She spoke with a small smile.

She let out a laugh that died when she looked up into the piercing blue diamond eyes of the friendly neighborhood reporter. He stared into her like he was looking into her soul.

“You shouldn't have to be.”

The wind blew against her bare arms sending shivers down her spine. Clark looked away, turning his head seconds before the back door to the Lex Corps building opened.

“There you are.”

Bruce looked between his wife and the nosy reporter. His grin was painfully fake. Clark stood slowly, staring down the taller man. Bruce smirked at him then down to his wife. He held out his hand to her.

“I believe we're done here. Are you ready to go?”

His eyes were urging her silently. Nora could only assume he’d had a bit of trouble with his plan tonight.

“As long as I get to drive.”

She lifted herself off the ground, still careful of her gown. Gracefully she took Bruce’s hand and allowed him to lead her away from the patio. Looking back over her shoulder she called out with a grin.

“Goodnight Mr. Kent. And I trust you'll remember our little secret?”

He nodded, “Just between us Mrs. Wayne.” He called as he watched her walk away on the arm of a man he was convinced was a murder. 

And in that moment Clark made a decision that in the end all the change that was about to take place in Gotham and Metropolis could be traced back to.   
He made the decision that he was going to save Nora Wayne


End file.
